


distance

by thunderylee



Category: KAT-TUN (Band), NewS (Band)
Genre: Canon Universe, Gen, introspective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-05-09
Updated: 2010-05-09
Packaged: 2019-01-30 21:09:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12661455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderylee/pseuds/thunderylee
Summary: The light isn’t their only bond.





	distance

**Author's Note:**

> reposted from agck. KAT-TUN’s ‘Distance’ lyrics roughly translated by me.

Four o’clock a.m. is eight at night in Japan. Eight hours behind, a day ahead. Jin looks at the clock on his new Droid and does the mental math in his head, surprisingly clear for such an early hour. Early, late; regardless, it’s _dark_.

Right now, it’s dark in Japan too. Jin sucks his lips into his mouth, playing with them in that nervous habit he tries to hide as he scrolls the contacts list and wonders who might still be working. Most of them, he realizes, even if he doesn’t want to actually talk to any of them. It’s much cheaper to email.

He shouldn’t have drank last night. One day he’ll learn, the pounding headache a stern punishment as it takes all of his effort to reach for the half-full bottle of Ibuprofen next to his bed. He’s getting too old for this shit. He’s almost twenty-six. He wonders when he’s going to grow up and value sleep over socializing. Probably never, with the crowd he runs with. Josh isn’t the best influence in the world, even if Jin’s mother adores him.

_He’s only been here a month_. The L.A. live hasn’t even happened yet; rehearsals are back-to-back, last-minute changes and unforeseeable technical difficulties draining Jin’s excitement and positive attitude much more quickly than he would have liked. Work is work no matter what side of the ocean he’s on, it seems. There’s a world of difference between now and the last time he was here.

His English comes naturally, thankfully. It still feels awkward to speak politely and thus he remains quiet, but nobody really expects him to say anything as long as he looks good and happy to be here. He better be, with all of the trouble everyone’s going through for him. Even if they insist that they’re not.

The condo leased for him is small but suffices. Jin’s really only there long enough to sleep, shower, and change clothes before he’s ushered off to meetings or rehearsals. There is someone who comes to clean and do his laundry but it’s not his mother, an older Mexican lady whose English is on his level and he likes to be around when she’s there because somehow it feels comfortable to talk to her. It isn’t home and he doubts it ever will be, regardless of whether he stays or goes after the show. That decision isn’t actually his, anyway.

He’s on the front step by four-thirty, squinting in the harsh streetlights and remembering old song lyrics: _under the streetlight, even if we’re apart, there’s only one memory_. Humming the notes, tongue forming the familiar Japanese syllables without bothering to move his lips, _that voice calling your name was always, gently, right here_.

It’s not that he doesn’t think about them, any of them. It’s not taboo for him to contact them and there are no hard feelings. They’re all busy; work is work no matter whether he’s with them or not. Even Yamapi is filming his movie and Ryo is… well, last Jin heard Ryo has been taking over Jin’s reputation for him. He scoffs at the thought.

_Under the streetlight, this light is our one bond. Even if we’re far apart, even if we forget, it will surely, always, stay the same._

Jin looks up into the light, expecting some kind of omen and getting a raindrop in the eye. He almost laughs at the irony, considers relocating inside as the angry clouds seem to be gathering over his head to pour out their rage. The water is warm, a summer storm, seeking refuge in his hair and streaming down his face in a parody of tears he doesn’t need to cry.

He smiles sleepily as he slips his phone out of his pocket, shielding it with his body as he brings up the weather application. Seems there are night showers in Tokyo too. The opportunity is too good to pass up, and he quickly shoots off an email while trying not to shake with suppressed amusement.

It would be kind of crazy to laugh out loud by himself on the front steps of his building at quarter to five a.m. _in the rain_ , after all.

Five minutes later his phone vibrates and Jin rolls his eyes; Yamapi was always horrible about keeping his phone on him while working. He loses it otherwise. _Nice try, but it’s been raining all day. Your psychic abilities appear to be on a delay._

Somehow it’s comforting to know that the sky is the same across the ocean. Such depressing weather is actually lifting his mood, clearing his mind and setting his focus on the day ahead. Sing, dance, be amazing. But most importantly, have fun while he does it.

It really is the chance of a lifetime. It’s what he’s always wanted. No matter what happens this summer, when his six months are up, it’s going to be totally awesome.

For now, he thinks he’ll come straight home and sleep tonight.


End file.
